Nursing nipple



Jan. l2 1926. L. C'. YOUNG NURSING NIPPLE med' Nov. 7, 1924 Patented Jan. r12, 1926.

g UNITED STATI-:s

LLEWELLYN C. YOUNG, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

NURSING NIPPLE.

Application led November 7, 1924. Serial' No. 748,301.

To` all 'whom it may concern: Y Be it known that I, LLEWELLYN C. YoUNG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State ofV Ohio, have invented a new and use ful Nursing Nipple, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

vThis invention relates to nursing nipples, and has for one of its objects the provision of a nipple which will permit biting without stopping the. fiow of milk or other liquid therethrough, and for another object the provision of means for regulating the quan tity of such flow whereby the infant may be fed fast or slow, as conditions may require. The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while in its broader aspect it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure l is a side elevation of a nipple embodying the invention attached to a bottle, with the latter fragmentarily shown. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on 'the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a nursing nipple of the usual or any suitable form, and 2 a bottle to the neck of `which the nipple is adapted to be attached. These nipples are of soft, pliable material, usually rubber, and may, therefore, be pressed together by biting of the infant when nursing so that a closing of the pas sage through the nipple occurs. This closing action is objectionable as it interrupts the feeding which should be substantially constant and of uniform character.

To prevent this collapsing or closing action, the nipple is provided interiorly with a tube-like part 3 of hard or stiff material, such fory instance as vulcanized rubber, which will resist compressing. This tube is preferably fixedly connected at its outlet end to the interior wall of the nipple at its outlet end, and the tube passage 4 is continuous through the nipple end so that all the liquid passing through the nipple goes through the tube.

In the use of nursing nipples the discharge orifice through the end of the nipple gradually enlarges in use and results in a too rapid feeding of the infant. This condition requires a frequent replacing of the nipples with new ones having small holes. With these nipples the flow is not maintained uniform but gradually increases with the size of the orifice. V

of flow through the feed passage el to be regulated, according to the requirements of the particular case, the inlet end of the passage 4 is extended lthrough the side of the tube, and a valve sleeve 5 encircles such end portion of the tube and .isprovided with a series of successively arranged orifices (S of varying sizes which may be selectively placed in register with the adjacent end of the tube passage 4 by a turning of thel Sleeve on the tube. The largest of the yvalve orifices 6 is of substantially the same size 2s the passage 4, and the other orifices are gradual-- ly reduced in size. The valve sleeve 5 may be of rubber or any other suitable material adaptingit to fit closely around the tube.

I wish it understood that my invention is K y In order toovercome .this objection and to enablethe quantity not limited to any specific construction, ar-

rangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A nursing nipple of yielding material having a feed tube of stiff inaterialeXten-ding therethrough with the inlet end of thetube passage opening laterally from the tube,`

ter with` said inlet opening, said valve being rotatably mounted on said tube thereby to regulate the liquid flow therethrough by manually adjusting said valve. V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

LLEWELLYN o. Yonne. 

